Have you ever wondered why some people enjoy being surrounded by others while others need quiet time to recharge? Why one person plans everything weeks ahead while another prefers to decide as they go?
Personality is one way psychologists try to understand these differences.
Online personality tests have made terms such as introvert, extrovert, INTJ, ENFP, Advocate, Architect and Campaigner increasingly familiar. They can be interesting tools for self-reflection, but personality is more complicated than fitting everyone neatly into one of 16 boxes.
This guide explains the popular 16 personality types, where they come from, what they may help you understand and, importantly, what personality tests cannot tell you.
What Is Personality?
Personality refers broadly to relatively enduring patterns in how a person tends to think, feel and behave.
Our personalities can influence how we communicate, respond to stress, approach relationships, solve problems, make decisions and interact with other people.
Personality does not mean that someone will behave exactly the same way in every situation. Behaviour is also affected by circumstances, culture, upbringing, experiences, relationships, health and many other factors.
This is why a personality description should be viewed as a general tendency rather than a prediction of everything a person will do.
Where Do the 16 Personality Types Come From?
The popular 16-type system is closely associated with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), developed from ideas about psychological types proposed by psychiatrist Carl Jung.
The system describes personality using four pairs of preferences:
Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I)
This broadly describes whether a person tends to direct more attention toward external interaction and activity or toward their internal world and reflection.
Sensing (S) or Intuition (N)
This concerns preferences for taking in information, including greater emphasis on concrete details or patterns, possibilities and broader meanings.
Thinking (T) or Feeling (F)
This relates to preferences in decision-making, particularly the relative emphasis placed on impersonal logic or personal and interpersonal considerations.
Judging (J) or Perceiving (P)
This broadly describes preferences for structure and closure versus flexibility and keeping options open.
Combining these letters produces 16 possible types, such as INTJ, ENFP, ISTP and ESFJ.
Some popular personality websites give these types memorable names and place them into four groups: Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels and Explorers.
Let's look at them.
1. Analysts
Analyst types are commonly portrayed as placing a strong emphasis on reasoning, ideas, strategy and problem-solving.
Architect (INTJ)
Architects are often described as independent and strategic thinkers.
They may enjoy analysing complicated problems, developing long-term plans and looking for more efficient ways to achieve a goal. They can prefer working independently and may spend considerable time thinking through possibilities before acting.
Their preference for independence and planning can be useful in situations requiring concentration and strategy, although other people may sometimes interpret their reserved nature as distance.
Logician (INTP)
Logicians are typically characterised as curious and analytical thinkers who enjoy understanding how things work.
They may be attracted to theories, difficult questions, experimentation and intellectual challenges. Rather than accepting an explanation simply because it is conventional, they may prefer examining the underlying logic themselves.
This curiosity can encourage creativity and learning, although some people with these preferences may spend so much time exploring possibilities that making a final decision becomes difficult.
Commander (ENTJ)
Commanders are commonly described as decisive, organised and goal-oriented.
They may naturally take responsibility when a group needs direction and can be comfortable making difficult decisions. They often value efficiency and may quickly identify obstacles standing between a team and its objective.
Strong determination can be an advantage in leadership, but effective leadership also requires listening, empathy and recognising when another person's approach may be better.
Debater (ENTP)
Debaters are often associated with curiosity, quick thinking and an enjoyment of intellectual discussion.
They may like exploring unconventional ideas, questioning assumptions and examining an issue from several perspectives.
Their willingness to challenge established thinking can generate innovative ideas. However, debating an idea for intellectual enjoyment can sometimes be misunderstood by people who see the discussion as personal disagreement.
2. Diplomats
Diplomat types are generally portrayed as placing greater emphasis on meaning, relationships, values and personal development.
Advocate (INFJ)
Advocates are often described as thoughtful, idealistic and reserved.
They may care strongly about social issues or the wellbeing of others while preferring meaningful relationships over large numbers of casual connections.
They can be motivated by a desire to contribute to something they consider important.
Mediator (INFP)
Mediators are typically portrayed as empathetic, imaginative and guided strongly by personal values.
They may enjoy creative expression and can be deeply concerned about people or causes they value.
Their ability to consider other people's experiences can make them supportive companions, although strong idealism may occasionally conflict with practical realities.
Protagonist (ENFJ)
Protagonists are commonly described as sociable, encouraging and comfortable motivating other people.
They may be attentive to the emotional atmosphere within a group and enjoy helping others develop.
These characteristics can support leadership, mentoring and teamwork, although constantly focusing on other people's needs can sometimes mean overlooking their own.
Campaigner (ENFP)
Campaigners are usually characterised as enthusiastic, creative and sociable.
They may enjoy exploring possibilities, meeting different people and beginning new projects.
Their enthusiasm can energise others, but maintaining attention on repetitive tasks or completing every new idea may sometimes be challenging.
3. Sentinels
Sentinel types are generally described as placing value on stability, responsibility, organisation and practical solutions.
Logistician (ISTJ)
Logisticians are commonly portrayed as dependable, organised and detail-oriented.
They may prefer clear expectations, factual information and established procedures. They can be particularly comfortable in situations requiring consistency and careful attention.
A strong preference for structure can be valuable, although unexpected changes may require additional flexibility.
Defender (ISFJ)
Defenders are typically described as supportive, responsible and attentive to other people's practical needs.
They may prefer helping quietly rather than seeking recognition for what they do.
Their reliability can make them valued friends and colleagues, but consistently prioritising others can make setting personal boundaries important.
Executive (ESTJ)
Executives are commonly characterised as organised, practical and decisive.
They may enjoy creating structure, coordinating people and making sure responsibilities are completed.
These qualities can be valuable in management and administration. However, situations involving uncertainty or unconventional approaches may require greater flexibility.
Consul (ESFJ)
Consuls are generally described as sociable, caring and attentive to relationships.
They may enjoy bringing people together and can place considerable importance on cooperation and belonging.
Sensitivity to other people's reactions can strengthen relationships, although relying heavily on external approval can sometimes become stressful.
4. Explorers
Explorer types are generally portrayed as adaptable, practical and comfortable responding to immediate circumstances.
Virtuoso (ISTP)
Virtuosos are often described as independent, practical problem-solvers.
They may enjoy understanding how things work through direct experimentation rather than lengthy theoretical explanations.
This hands-on approach can be valuable in technical and practical situations.
Adventurer (ISFP)
Adventurers are commonly characterised as flexible, observant and sensitive to their surroundings.
They may enjoy creative expression, new experiences and having the freedom to approach life in their own way.
They can adapt well to changing circumstances but may be less attracted to rigid long-term plans.
Entrepreneur (ESTP)
Entrepreneurs are typically described as energetic, action-oriented and comfortable making quick decisions.
They may enjoy challenges, social interaction and solving problems as they emerge.
Their willingness to act can be useful in rapidly changing environments, although slowing down to consider longer-term consequences can sometimes be equally important.
Entertainer (ESFP)
Entertainers are generally portrayed as enthusiastic, expressive and sociable.
They may enjoy interacting with others and bringing energy to social situations.
Their spontaneity can make them adaptable and engaging, although planning ahead can sometimes require deliberate effort.
Are Personality Tests Scientifically Accurate?
This is where an important distinction needs to be made.
A personality test can be interesting and useful for self-reflection without being a perfect scientific measurement of personality.
The MBTI remains extremely popular, particularly in workplaces and personal-development settings. However, researchers have raised concerns about using rigid personality categories to describe characteristics that often exist on a continuum.
For example, a person does not necessarily have to be either completely introverted or completely extroverted. Many people fall somewhere between the two and may behave differently depending on the situation.
Another issue is test-retest reliability. A person's type may sometimes change when the assessment is taken again.
This doesn't mean that every insight from a personality test is useless. It means the results should be interpreted cautiously.
A personality test should therefore be treated as a tool for reflection rather than a diagnosis or definitive description of who you are.
What Does Psychology Use to Study Personality?
One of the most widely researched approaches in modern personality psychology is the Five-Factor Model, commonly called the Big Five.
It describes personality across five broad dimensions:
Openness to experience: curiosity, imagination and willingness to consider new experiences.
Conscientiousness: organisation, reliability and self-discipline.
Extraversion: sociability, assertiveness and tendency to seek external stimulation.
Agreeableness: cooperation, compassion and concern for others.
Neuroticism: tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety or emotional instability.
Unlike a system that places everyone into separate types, the Big Five measures characteristics along continuous dimensions.
Someone can therefore be moderately extraverted, highly conscientious and somewhere in the middle for openness rather than being placed into one fixed personality category.
Can Your Personality Change?
Personality tends to show some stability, but it is not completely fixed for life.
Long-term research suggests that personality traits can change across adulthood.
Life experiences, relationships, responsibilities, social environments and deliberate behavioural changes may all contribute to how personality develops.
So receiving a particular personality-test result at 20 does not mean you are permanently required to behave according to that description.
What Personality Tests Should Not Be Used For
Be careful about using personality results to make major decisions.
A four-letter personality type should not determine:
whether someone is suitable for a relationship;
whether someone should receive a medical or mental-health diagnosis;
whether a person is intelligent;
whether someone will succeed in a particular profession;
whether an employee is automatically suitable or unsuitable for a job; or
what someone is capable of becoming.
Personality is only one part of a much larger picture.
How to Use a Personality Test Constructively
Instead of asking, "Which box do I belong to?", consider asking better questions.
What situations give me energy?
How do I normally respond to disagreement?
Do I prefer detailed plans or flexibility?
How do I make difficult decisions?
What behaviours repeatedly create problems for me?
What strengths do other people consistently recognise in me?
What habits would I like to improve?
Those questions can produce useful self-reflection regardless of the four letters a personality test gives you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 16 personality types?
The commonly used 16 types are INTJ, INTP, ENTJ, ENTP, INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, ENFP, ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ, ESFJ, ISTP, ISFP, ESTP and ESFP.
What is the rarest personality type?
Claims about a single "rarest personality type" should be treated cautiously. Estimates depend on the population studied, assessment method and how personality categories are defined.
Can I have more than one personality type?
A type-based assessment normally assigns one result, but real personality characteristics exist in varying degrees. You may therefore recognise aspects of yourself in several descriptions.
Can my personality type change?
Your result can change when you retake a personality assessment. Personality traits themselves can also develop gradually over a person's lifetime.
Is MBTI a mental-health test?
No. MBTI-style personality tests are not diagnostic tools for mental-health conditions.
If you are experiencing significant emotional or psychological difficulties, an online personality test is not a substitute for assessment by a qualified healthcare or mental-health professional.
Which personality type is the best?
There is no scientifically established "best" personality type.
Different characteristics can become strengths or weaknesses depending on the person, situation and behaviour involved.
The Bottom Line
Personality tests can be enjoyable and may encourage you to think about your behaviour, communication style, relationships and preferences.
The popular 16 personality types provide one framework for doing that, but they should not be treated as a complete scientific description of an individual.
Human personality is more complex than four letters.
Use personality tests to ask better questions about yourself, not to put permanent limits around who you are or who you can become.
References
American Psychological Association. Personality. APA Dictionary of Psychology.
John, O. P., Naumann, L. P., & Soto, C. J. (2008). Paradigm shift to the integrative Big Five trait taxonomy: History, measurement, and conceptual issues. In Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research.
McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (2008). The Five-Factor Theory of personality. In Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research.
Pittenger, D. J. (2005). Cautionary comments regarding the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 57(3), 210–221.
Roberts, B. W., Walton, K. E., & Viechtbauer, W. (2006). Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132(1), 1–25.
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